Texas Tech University

M. Sylvia Weintraub

M. Sylvia Weintraub is a PhD student in the Fine Arts Doctoral Program at Texas Tech University. Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree, Sylvia was a studio artist with a concentration in conceptualism and socially engaged art. At TTU, Sylvia is a member of the PeARL lab where she conducts research on online DIY and craft culture. By analyzing big data from the social networking systems her research aims to discover how users gain adaptive skillsets through the sharing and consuming of information related to material manipulation. Other areas of interest include “designed detritus” and the propagation of aesthetic trends in commodity culture. Within these research areas Sylvia has studied how encounters with objects can influence individuals' aesthetic sensibilities and also limit their knowledge of materials and processes of making.

Photo Description

Research Interests

visual studies; media and communication; affect theory; posthumanism; new materialisms; human-computer interaction; schema theory; human factors; DIY and craft culture


Link to Website: http://www.msylviaweintraub.net/